The book uniquely covers seventeen business functions through both modern and Buddhist perspectives, featuring 112 citations from the original Pali canon and 30 verses from the Dhammapada.
Business Management Essentials from Modern and Buddhist Perspective presents a holistic approach to management by combining contemporary business functions with Buddhist teachings that have sustained the Buddhist community for over 2,500 years. The book uniquely covers seventeen business functions through both modern and Buddhist perspectives, featuring 112 citations from the original Pali canon and 30 verses from the Dhammapada. Unlike other works on business and Buddhism, it specifically draws from the Theravada tradition that originated during Buddha's time, avoiding inaccuracies found in other texts while using illustrative stories to demonstrate how poor management decisions can lead to failures.This distinctive work stands apart from previous books on business and Buddhism by providing in-depth analysis of individual business functions rather than general principles, offering organizations a path to develop management systems based on ethical and moral principles. Each chapter methodically demonstrates how Buddhist practices can enhance business effectiveness, creating mutual benefits for businesses and all stakeholders—including employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers, communities, and governments—ultimately promoting organizational systems that contribute positively to humanity while ensuring business survival in today's competitive environment.
Arvustused
"Dr Titus De Silvas book is an attempt to fill the gaps between traditional knowledge and modern knowledge. He successfully bridges the modern business management practices with Buddhist teachings.... This book, Business Management Essentials from Modern and Buddhist Perspectives is an ideal companion for any organisation that intends to improve the effectiveness of its management system."
Dr Nishadini Peiris
Professor of Psychology
Faculty of Management
Uva Welissa University
Badulla, Sri Lanka
"Dr DeSilva's book, Business Management Essentials from Modern and Buddhist Perspectives gives management an additional dimension by bringing together time-tested Buddhist teachings applicable to management setting....From the vast collection of discourses in the Three Baskets, the author has successfully selected the material relating to management practices and has presented it in a way that organisations can easily adopt them."
Ken Lovatt
Former Business Development Manager
"In this book, Business Management Essentials from Modern and Buddhist Perspectives, Dr De Silva takes several well-known examples and re-examines them, using them to illustrate how the correct application of good business management principles can make the difference between success and failure...He has taken great care to select the appropriate teachings from the extensive discourses in the Three Baskets of Buddhist literature that match the modern business functions.
Dr David C Taylor
BSc Pharmacy (Hons), PhD, Former Director of Product
Development, Analytical Development and Project
Management, AstraZeneca, United Kingdom.
Foreword by Dr David Taylor
Foreword by Ken Lovatt
Foreword by Professor Nishadini Peiris
Preface
Acknowledgements
About the author
Abbreviations
Glossary
Introduction to Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism
Introduction to Tipitaka Three Baskets
Chapter 1: Business Development and Protection of Resources
Chapter 2: Communication Concepts
Chapter 3: Training and Development
Chapter 4: Problem-Solving
Chapter 5: Conflict Resolution
Chapter 6: Leadership
Chapter 7: Teamwork
Chapter 8: Individual and Organisational Change Management
Chapter 9: Management Functions
Chapter 10: Risk Management
Chapter 11: Managing Human Resources
Chapter 12: Total Quality Management
Chapter 13: Continuous Improvement
Chapter 14: Knowledge Management
Chapter 15: Ethics and Morality in Business Management
Chapter 16: Ethics and Morality: A Buddhist Perspective
Chapter 17: Ethical Decision-Making
Index of SuttasIndex of Dhammapada VersesSubject Index
Dr Titus De Silva gained his pharmacy degree (Hons) from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. In addition, he has a BSc degree in chemistry, a postgraduate diploma in computer science (NZ) and an MBA and PhD in management science (USA). He is a Chartered Chemist (CChem) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) (UK), a Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (MRPharmS) and a Member of the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand (MPS).
For over 50 years, he held senior management positions in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Japan, Kuwait and Sri Lanka in many sectors, including manufacturing, research, cosmetics, beverages and hospital and community pharmacy.
In his role as Corporate Quality Assurance Manager in the food, beverage and cosmetic industries in New Zealand, he was responsible for developing and implementing management systems to comply with international standards. He coached and trained staff for management positions. Dr De Silva gained competency as a lead auditor and was a registered auditor in quality management and occupational safety and hygiene in Australia and New Zealand. He worked closely with pharmaceutical, food, beverage and cosmetic manufacturers, auditing their management systems and providing encouragement and guidance. His auditing experience enabled him to gain a broad knowledge of many disciplines encountered in the business and industrial environment.
He had his early education in two premier Buddhist schools in Sri Lanka (Rahula College, Matara, and Mahinda College, Galle, started by Colonel Olcott). While at school, he regularly attended the Sunday Dhamma School conducted by the local Buddhist temple at Matara, where he completed the Dhamma Examination Certificates conducted by the Young Mens Buddhist Association of Ceylon (YMBA), reaching the teachers examination level. He was thrilled when he received the junior school prize for Buddhism at Rahula College.
Dr De Silva continued his work on Buddhist activities while attending the University of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Colombo, where he became the president of the Buddhist Brotherhood and the All-Ceylon Buddhist Students Federation. During this time, he organised many religious activities in various parts of Ceylon.
In New Zealand, Titus and his wife, Anoma, were fortunate to have been involved in Auckland Theravada Buddhist Association (ATBA) activities as founding members, establishing the Auckland Vihara library and presenting the Radio Dhamma Programme sponsored by the ATBA for several years on Auckland Community Access Radio.
He actively participated in community activities, and in 2003, the New Zealand government conferred on him the Queens Service Medal (QSM) for his voluntary services to the communities in New Zealand.
